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Local and Traditional Knowledge

a long history of living off the sea

herring catch in 1895

Above: Historical catch of herring at Sitka, 1895. (Alaska State Library and Sitka Tribe of Alaska)

hunters in Lorino with whale

Above: Hunters dress a grey whale in Lorino, Chukchi Peninsula. (Lydiya Bukina)

Experiential knowledge gained over time about one’s place among the waters, winds, tides, plants and animals in a locality is known as “local and traditional knowledge.”

This experience is often passed down through generations and is part of cultural identity. LTK offers much in the context of research in the North Pacific by adding more information and new perspectives for understanding marine ecosystems.

How LTK Contributes to Our Research

NPRB's strategies for incorporating LTK into science planning include but are not limited to:

  • Generating research hypotheses | because regional residents both collect and analyze information
  • Documenting existing LTK | because knowledge stretches far back in time and is often oral
  • Recording observations | because denizens of the North Pacific spend a great deal of time watching the marine environment
  • Fostering collaborative analysis | because regional residents are also analysts and can help decipher the most plausible explanations of phenomena
  • Collaborating on specific projects | because many NPRB-funded projects could have an LTK component
  • Exploratory research | because there is always room for innovation